Ritchie Talks TT

Ritchie Venner is to Sussex table tennis what Des Douglas has been to English table tennis - a legend. We got the modest Ritchie to take time out of his trophy winning schedule to tell us a bit about himself

9/6/11

Hello Ritchie. Can I firstly ask how long have you been playing table tennis?

36 years

What got you started?

My dad played to a high level and he coached me brother and I from the age of about 10

What style of play have you got?

Counter hitter

What blade/rubbers do you use?

Mazunov blade and shark rubber

What’s your best shot?

Best shot is a backhand loop

What’s your weakest shot?

Weakest shot is a forehand loop

Any pet peeves about table tennis?

Players at tournaments who lose the ability to speak when umpiring and just turn over the numbers.

Have you got any funny stories in your TT career that you can relate to us?

Once accidently let go of my bat playing a big loop it flew over two courts missing Adrian Moores head by a fraction and everybody thought I had thrown it on purpose. (I was actually winning at the time)

Who are your favourite professional players – past and present?

Kalinikos Kreanga and Chen Xinhua

What temperament have you got on the table?

I am fairly calm most of the time

What do you consider your biggest achievement in the sport?

Twice National Vetts champion

What league(s) do you play in? How did you play last season?

Played in Hastings and Brighton last season. Played well, helped get Brighton Pavillion promoted to the Premier Division via the play-offs (won 9/10 in play-offs)

What’s your best ever win?

Beat Matt Syed (when he was young, but still ranked above me). Beat John Holland and Sean Gibson when they were in the top 10.

What other sports are you interested in?

All sports, but mainly boxing, football and cricket

What changes would you make to make table tennis more successful in this country?

Need the top players to be good enough to get table tennis on TV

Why do you like playing table tennis so much?

Very competitive by nature, keep fit

Who’s been the biggest influence on your table tennis career?

Biggest influence - my dad 

Thanks for your time Ritchie